The holiday season also is the giving season, and many volunteer opportunities are available to those seeking to spend time giving back in the Bloomington area.
Volunteers are needed all over the county in different areas. A full selection of opportunities can be found through the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, available here.
Community Kitchen of Monroe County Christmas Day meal Volunteers are welcome to assist with serving a traditional Christmas meal at the Community Kitchen of Monroe County this Christmas Day. Shifts run from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are two hours long. Visit the Monroe Community Kitchen website for more details.
Girls Incorporated of Monroe County Holiday Hoopla Girl Inc. of Monroe County is hosting its Holiday Hoopla from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 15 at Fountain Square Mall. Volunteers at Holiday Hoopla will help organize a pancake breakfast, a kids-only shopping area and a gingerbread house station. Visit here for more information.
Bloomington Transit Stuff-A-Bus Bloomington Transit is partnering with WCLS-FM 97.7 and the Salvation Army to stuff a Bloomington Transit Bus completely with new, unwrapped children’s toys and winter clothing for area families. Volunteers are needed to to staff the bus in two-hour shifts to accept donations. Visit here for locations, times for shifts and donation drop offs.
Latino Programs and Outreach City of Bloomington Holiday Assistance Bloomington Latino Programs and Outreach City of Bloomington is looking for volunteers to provide gifts for Latino/Hispanic children. This year, the program is sponsoring all Bloomington families who have children ranging from 1 to 16. If unable to sponsor a family, volunteers can still participate by donating new toys, books and clothing to assist unsponsored families. The deadline for donations is Dec. 7, and more information can be found here.
Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington Winter Break Camp Volunteers are needed to act as camp counselors for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington Winter Break Camps. Volunteers will be paired with a staff member and will lead a group of 15-20 campers. The camp days runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12 to 6 p.m. Jan. 2-4. For more information, visit here.
Middle Way House Shop-A-Rama Volunteers can now donate to the Shop-A-Rama toy drive. New toys for 62 children and their mothers are needed and can be dropped at at 401 South Washington St. by Dec. 20. Volunteers are also needed to wrap presents the day of the event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 21. More information is available at the Middle Way House website.
